


Blame

by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Episode: s03 Loveater|Heart Hunter (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 1) Spoilers, Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2) Spoilers, Gen, How marinette sees things, Hurt/Comfort, Marinette is an unreliable narrator, Post-Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2), Self-Doubt, marinette's self esteem issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 13:26:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21055145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover/pseuds/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover
Summary: After the fight with Miracle Queen, Marinette wonders if things could have been avoided if she’d done things differently.





	Blame

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this after watching Miracle Queen's eng sub. And HO BOY I FELT LIKE CRYING THIS EPISODE. I ACTUALLY DID WHEN I WATCHED IT BEFORE THE SUBS CAME OUT. SO I'M LETTING MARI CRY AS WELL.

Crashing onto her bed, Marinette curled into herself, exhausted by everything that had happened. She wasn’t really feeling any better, her mind constantly flying back to the true catalyst of the day’s events. 

She’d failed. Failed to explain why she couldn’t let Chloé have the Bee. And it had backfired on her spectacularly. As angry as she had been at the girl when she’d taken back the Bee Miraculous and the Miracle Box… Marinette found that she really couldn’t blame her. 

Chloé said it the best. She’d ignored the constant pleas Chloé had made, to let her help. Marinette had always chosen a different holder despite seeing Chloé, all too eager to help out. Ignoring her had been a mistake. Marinette could admit, that Chloé was resourceful and reliable as a teammate. However, she’d let her fear, of Hawkmoth going after Chloé overtake her. Yes, her fear had been founded in the end, but only because she had let Chloé’s resentment progress that far.

Marinette could only blame herself. Finding that letter Master Fu had left had only made things a little better. But she still couldn’t find it in herself to forgive herself of the mistakes she’d made.

She looked at where she’d hid the Miracle Box and flinched. She was Guardian now, wasn’t she. She didn’t feel like she was ready, despite what Master Fu had done. And had given up. She didn’t feel like she was worthy of the role at all, not since she’d messed up so badly. 

“You’re acting like you used to, you know?”

Marinette flinched again, seeing Tikki fly out to greet her. The tiny god looked tired and sorrowful, just as affected by the changes as she was, but her eyes were still resolute.

“You’re acting like the Marinette I’d met on her first day as Ladybug,” Tikki said. “Insecure, unsure, feeling unworthy, feeling like being given such a responsibility was a mistake, after having failed so badly.”

“And I know it will _be_ a heavy responsibility, Marinette,” Tikki flew to her and patted her head. Marinette flinched as Tikki continued. “But I assure you. You will have people supporting you. Chat. Me. And the other Kwami, too. We’ll help you, guide you, give you the support you need.”

“But I -” 

“You made mistakes. And that is alright,” Tikki sighed as she cut off the protest. “You are still a human child, Marinette, and you are still learning. Still growing. So stop blaming yourself.“

Marinette could feel the tears build up once again, and began sobbing, Tikki sighing as she gently pat her, knowing that the girl would soon cry herself to sleep.

It had been too long of a day, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Do I blame Chloe for her actions this episode? Not as much as you'd think. I already made a post about how I think her redemption arc will be riddled with struggles. It isn't going to be believable if she gets a redemption so easily now would she? But you need to realise that LB never explained to Chloe why she couldn't rely on her, nor did she ever tell her she wouldn't be relying on her at all. Chloe's resentment is near understandable and she turns to the only one who thinks she can be relied upon, even if that person is a villain. 
> 
> I don't hate Chloe. The fact that her threat to leave Paris has been halted because her mother and father got back together tells me there is more planned for her story in the next season. Marinette will also begin facing more struggles than before. She can no longer rely on Master Fu for advice and she's moving on from Adrien. Emotionally, she isn't in a good place, and I think this will actually carry over into the next season.
> 
> Marinette has broken down completely thanks to the responsibilities piled up on her, and her current emotional state is quite similar to the state she's in when she'd first started out, as I've pointed out in this fic. But it also shows that she still has room for growth. That she isn't done growing yet. And that mistakes are a part of growing. Of changing.
> 
> Add on: Ok because its come up in the comments, I'd like to clarify that I'm also not blaming Marinette for what happened. This fic is entirely about her crippling self doubt and her habit of blaming herself for things that were not entirely her fault. She is catastrophising. In addition, I am not saying that Mari never explained. Yes, in Miraculer she did explain it to Chloe, but did Chloe actually understand in the end? No. No she didn't. And thus, in this fic Marinette considers it a failure on her part, for failing to explain things properly, in a way that Chloe actually sees the danger she'd gotten herself into.
> 
> Again. This fic is called Blame.
> 
> But it has to do with self blame. Unwarranted blame. Self doubt. Mourning for what's lost. Dealing with the consequences of carelessness. 
> 
> Hope this explains things!


End file.
